Tire Question

In the past I have run BFG KO2 LT tires on my 4 cyl Tacomas, getting approx 25 mpg on highway. Recently Discount Tire talked me into a set of P265/70 16 SL Michelin LTX/AT tires - mostly because I was leaving on a 4,000 mile road trip and they couldn’t get a set of Michelin LTX/AT 245/75 16 before I was scheduled to leave. I have tracked mpg from Albuquerque, NM to Green Bay, WI and am now getting about 23 mpg, less than I got with the BFGs.

My truck definitely has more get up and go than it did with the BFGs, especially uphill and passing but I do spend a lot of time on gravel forest service type roads. I love Discount Tire and they have agreed to take these back and order the LT version Michelins if I decide that’s what I really want.

Question is - the BFGs weighed 49 pounds. The LT Michelins that I wanted are just shy of 44 pounds. The P rated tires on the truck now weigh 39 pounds but are wider. If I decide to go with the LT version when I come home, will the thinner, heavier tire get better mileage than the wider, lighter tire, or worse? Stock suspension, manual 4X4. I replaced the BFGs after 40,000 miles due to front end shimmy. I feel like the BFGs were too heavy for my truck.

I have scoured the internet and this forum and haven’t found an answer. Please HELP!

 

I would imagine the width of the tire doesnt have too much to do with MPG, your going from 246 to 265. Yes its more surface drag. The heavier tire will take more to rotate. If I were to take a simple guess, the lighter tire would get better gas mileage. But this is one of those "dont know untill you try it" moments.

 

Thinner/skinnier/ lighter = better mileage.
Wider, heavier = better traction, less mileage

If that helps...

Cheers